KIRKUS REVIEW

Pity poor Blobfish, a bottom-dweller
who goes without light, friends, and, forsooth, delicious treats. Time for a “DEEP–SEA
PARTY!”

Blobfish is aptly named: he’s got a beezer
like a potato, a red-lipsticked frown, a sickly pink pallor. Blobfish has the
blues. But our protagonist has pluck. He shouts out that he’s throwing a “DEEP–SEA
PARTY! BRING A TREAT TO SHARE!” The sound waves make it to the mermaids, who
hear “Cheap, free party! Sling on a sheet to wear.” Yes, it’s a game of
Telephone, and this telephone is broken. The dancers hear: “Be really arty!
Swing your feet in the air!” The kids outside hear: “Be a smarty! Fling your
UNDERWEAR!” Yeah, well, OK—underwear—but that underwear just happens to foil
the attack by candy-seeking extraterrestrials in a flying saucer. Then everyone
retraces the Telephone call until they find Blobfish, still down in the
friendless, treatless dark…but nevermore. Caton keeps the spirited artwork in
concatenation with the crazy pleasure of Paul’s chain of transformations. The
participants are an entirely natural mix of black, brown, white, boy, girl, and
lots of animals of indeterminate gender and ethnicity but great variety. The whole package feels nicely wrapped, the wrapping doesn’t
try to get fancy, and the package isn’t too big or small. Pleasingly
proportional.

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